The Art of Thief A TMNT Fanfic
by Musable
Summary: When crime grows darker, streets running cold and meaning-less, there can be only four heroes to save it all but don't expect a warm welcome...especially for a thief.
1. Chapter 1

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter One**

**It is important to realize that there is no such thing as a burglar-proof home or a car that cannot be broken into and stolen. Or a lock that cannot be picked, drilled or bypassed. There is no security system that cannot be broached. Impenetrable defenses take their places up there with the Easter Bunny.**_**If**_**someone is dedicated enough, skilled enough and has the proper tools,**_**they**____**will**____**get in, no matter what measures someone takes to prevent it**_**. **

**At least that was what Monet had been taught about this. She had been a thief for a few years now; well maybe more than a few years. She had her brother's intellectual mind to make a plan, and her own silent "twinkle-toe" ability to move without a sound --- like the ninja he was training her to be.**

**There were no plans tonight, at least not that she knew of. So she sat alone on the roof of the abandoned church that she and her brother resided in. There was not much wind and the moon was full. It cast a light on her that made her a little bit sad. Her yellow-green skin contrasting with her vibrant orange hair. It had once been strawberry-blonde, but now it was orange. Titian said it was a side effect from the mutation – he had lost his own hair afterwards. **

**Monet held her knees close to her chest. Even though she knew what she was doing was right, she couldn't help but feel like it was wrong. "This must be what Robin Hood felt like." She mumbled softly as a pollution cloud went overhead blocking out a bit of the moonlight. She stood up and then slowly made her way back inside the church, enjoying the cool night air for a moment longer. She then went inside the church. She knew there were plans for tomorrow; she should probably rest.**

"**A'ight fearless leader. You brought us up here. Now whatta we gonna do?" Raphael crossed his arms impatiently. A dark green turtle with a red bandana, he had an aura of stern anger and fighting about him. This was in contrast to another greenish turtle next to him. **

**This turtle had an orange bandana and a lighthearted boyish attitude. "What do you think dude? It's the same stuff we do like, everynight." This was Michelangelo. He sighed like he didn't want to be there. "We should hurry this up dude, I like, got a high score to beat on my game."**

"**Which game Mikey?" Asked a turtle with a purple bandana; this was Donatello.**

"**All of them dude!" Mikey smiled. His smile was the portrait of a carefree glow.**

"**As much as I would love to talk about your video game prowess Mikey, we have some work to do." The fearless leader spoke. His bandana was blue. He was Leonardo. He was the unofficial leader of his brothers, and together they protected New York City and were known simply as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.**

"**Then let's do it bro!" Mikey continued to flaunt his grin. **

**The turtles began their nightly training. Hoping from rooftop to rooftop, play fighting with each other. This was the life! They enjoyed it until Mikey caught a glimpse of orange. Was that his bandana tail? Or was that hair? It came from nearby. "Hey dudes! Did anyone else see that?" Mikey stopped moving and looked around. This was a weird roof, kind of like an abandoned building. There were old crates and a storehouse…he could have seen anything.**

"**See what?" Donatello asked.**

"**Donnie…you're kidding right? It was like a bright orange streak down that way!" He pointed at some crates.**

"**It was your bandana tail ya dumbass." Raph said.**

**Mikey accepted this reluctantly and they continued along the rooftop. After they were gone, something came to life from the shadows. It was massive. About 6'7" in stature and dark green skin on a brown shell, it was masculine and stood with a glare on his face. This was Titian. **

**He had his arms wrapped around a yellow-green bundle. It was Monet. Her orange haired ponytail bound against his plastron. One of Titian's large hands covered her mouth and the other held her waist. Clearly…he did not want her to move.**

**Titian removed his hands and Monet took a curious step forward. "Who were they?" She asked. She had never seen other turtles before. Most of the other experiments had failed….**

"**I don't know. But we should steer clear." Titian said.**

"**But why?" Monet looked up at her older brother with curiosity. "They look like us…maybe they are nice."**

"**Are you assuming?" Titian looked down to her with a stern glared.**

"**Yes…but what's wrong with that?" **

"**Do know what happens when you assume Monet?" Titian still glared. "You make an ass out of you and me." Titian strode past her. "Let's get back to work….you still have some errands to run tonight…last night was a freebie, but tonight you have to work."**

"**Okay…" Monet looked off curiously into the direction those turtles had taken. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter Two**

**The turtle brethren were in their lair deep in the sewers of New York City. They were as puzzled as could be about a new string of crimes. Well, at least they thought it was new. It may have been there all along. **

**Donatello was in the lab looking over maps and checking a computer screen, while Leonardo was in the living room watching the news with his sensei and father, Splinter.**

"**It seems to be a series of completely random break-in's but nothing of immediate value being stolen." The anchor woman spoke. "In fact, what confuses the police the most is that the store owners don't even realize there has been a break in until the thief has left." **

"**Why does this even concern us dude…" Mickey yawned out of boredom. "They have not stolen anything!"**

"**Not yet, Mikey. There is still the potential that they might." Leo looked at his younger brother.**

"**The fact they haven't stolen anything tells me that they are looking for something specific." Donnie's voice came from the lab. "These are no ordinary thieves." **

"**And what prey tell is an ordinary thief?" Raphael asked as he came into the conversation. He didn't seem to care either way. But a thief was a thief and the fact that Leo and Donnie were there investigating it…meant that soon enough. Raph would be fightin' some crime. **

"**Well thieves can be divided into four categories." Donnie said. "****Opportunity, Smashers, Prowlers and Pros. What will stop an Opportunity thief, will not stop a Pro. The good news is that numerically speaking Pros are as rare as hen's teeth while Smashers are as common as fleas. What we are dealing with sounds more like a Prowler or a Pro. This means that it is not just one thief. There is probably a few of them and that they are looking for something specific. They won't take what they don't need. But I have noticed a pattern here….this group of thieves keep suffering from a missed opportunity. Each of these jewelry stores has something in common."**

"**And what's that?" Leo asked.**

"**Each of these stores have been taking turns with a series of diamonds." Donnie explained. "There are five diamonds in this series. And in order to protect them…instead of displaying them in a museum. They are moving them to upscale jewelry stores."**

"**Well that sounds stupid." Mikey spoke up from the couch where he was laying down in a comfortable position. "And it doesn't make much sense."**

"**It's New York Mikey….nothing makes much sense." Donnie said.**

"**Well where are the diamonds going next?" Leo asked.**

"**Well currently they are housed here." He pointed to a store on the map. "I think tonight would be a perfect night to attempt to catch our thieves before they actually steal something." **

"**Catchin' them before they do their job?" Raph raised his brow at that. "We ain't neva done that before. Usually it's right after they leave the scene."**

"**Well what are we waiting for." Mikey sat up from his position. "Let's catch a robber!"**

**Monet had been on a failing streak the past two nights, but tonight she would succeed. Her long hair had been tied up in a yellow ribbon. The ribbon was growing on her. It was too big so she had tied it around her eyes as well. She felt kind of like a hero with her new mask, but she knew she was no hero. Atleast the world said she was no hero. She read the newspapers and saw the News. She was no hero.**

**Monet was very cautious. She had practiced getting into these buildings many times. Sometimes she would go to the extremes of kicking down doors or smashing windows, but times like this called for a little more stealth.**

**She was a block away from the building she needed to be in. It had closed thirty minutes earlier. Monet found it easier the get in after it was freshly closed. Waiting too late was not always the best way to do it. She was hoping to get at least a small portion of her goal. She wanted the diamonds. They were crucial to what she and Titian were doing. **

**She reached the rooftop and looked down. They were in the process of moving the diamonds. She silently slunk down the building and landed silently on the ground. There were two humans who were opening an armored car. An armored car for jewels? **

**iThese must be some diamonds./i Monet thought. Titian hadn't told her exactly why they were so important, but Monet trusted her brother and believed that these diamonds were important. The five security guards that emerged from the car only confirmed that notion.**

**Two guards watched the pathway while three guards followed the other humans into the back door. Monet watched carefully from her hiding place as one of the guards swiped his card and punched in a series of numbers. 5123523. She then watched as the door closed behind the five humans who entered. **

**Monet turned her attention to the two guards outside the door. She smirked. Two guards were nothing. She took her bladed tessen out from their place in her belt. **

**She quickly dispatched the guards and took out one of their ID cards. 5123523. She slid the card and punched in the numbers. She was allowed in. The door shut behind her.**

**The turtle brothers looked down from the rooftops. Their thief had struck. Two guards were unconscious on the ground by an armored car. The turtles hopped onto the ground to investigate. They could tell the guards had gone down quickly. **

**Leo noticed one of the guards was missing an ID badge. "Well…it looks like our thieves our inside." **

**Donnie turned to Leo. "I think some of us should stay here. These are no ordinary thieves. They probably work in groups." **

"**Okay then. Raph and Mikey, you two stay out here. Me and Donnie will go inside." Leo said.**

"Are you too good to stay out side oh fearless leader!" Raph said. "You gonna leave me and Mike out here while you and Donnie get to have all the fun inside? I don't think so!"

"**Raph, would you stop arguing with me!" Leo glared at his brother. **

"**It ain't fair!" Raph yelled as he approached Leo. **

**Suddenly the door opened and a human came out of the shadows carrying a box. He looked a little shaky. He was sprinting from the door to the armored car and ignoring the turtles completely. **

"**Well dudes, it looks like we are about to meet our thieves." Mikey said as the turtles got into fighting stances.**

**Monet stared from the doorway. She knew they couldn't see her. She was still in shadow. Titian had told her to steer clear of those turtles. But she needed to get past them to get to that car. She only had two of the diamonds, and that human had the other three. Well…two was better than none, but how would she get past these other turtles? She stored the two diamonds safely in a bag on her belt. She looked around. There was only one light ahead. It came from an old streetlight in the back. She took out one of her tessen and aimed.**

**The light over head was hit by her tessen and then shattered leaving the turtles to fight by the light of the moon.**

**Leo picked up the tessen. "Ninja?" He raised a brow.**

"**There!" Raph saw a figure spring from the building. Raph went after it, keeping up as it climbed up the side of a building. **

**Raph's brothers were not far behind. They ended up surrounding the thief on a roof not too far from the store. It was dark up there. And all they could make out was a ponytail and a bow.**

"**All right! We know you are a thief!" Leo spoke loudly and commandingly to the thief. "Turn yourself in and we won't fight you!" **

**The thief looked around. There was a turtle blocking every means of escape. **

"**Don't make us fight you!" Leo cautioned again. **

**The thief turned to the side. Through the silhouette they could make out a female form. Did she have a backpack? That must be where the diamonds were.**

**She went towards Mikey. Mikey braced himself for a frontal attack but was surprised when she flipped over him, landing on her feet behind him. A cloud moved and the moonlight cast a glimmer on her. Was that a shell?**

**The brothers turned around and stared for a moment. The she was a turtle! **

**Their moments pause however gave her the moment she needed to get ahead of them. She looked back and smirked when she didn't see them behind her. However, when she turned back around they were in front of her. **

"**Hey babe!" Came Mikey's voice. "Where are you running to?"**

**Leo stood beside him in front of her as Raph and Donnie came behind. **

"**Babe?" She raised an eyebrow. "Lookie here mister! I am not your babe…" She turned red in embarrassment.**

"**She talks!" Mikey continued. "You gotta name?"**

"**I'm not supposed to talk to you!" She said as she tried to squeeze in between Leo and Mikey. But they grabbed her arms. **

"**You're not leaving." Leo said. "Hand over the diamonds."**

"**What diamonds?" She blinked innocently.**

"**I thought you weren't supposed to talk to us?" Mikey winked. Leo still held her arm.**

"**Oops!" She turned red again. Then smirked. "You're right." She lifted herself up using Leo's arms for support and then roundhouse kicked Mikey in the plastron. This process also knocked Leo off balance and she flung him into the brothers behind her. **

**Now free of Leo's grasp she took off running across the rooftops. By the time the brothers had regained their balance she was gone. Mikey was rubbing his plastron.**

"**Dude…that was some kick…she about knocked the wind out of me dude." Mikey looked down. "But…that was hot. She totally digs me."**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter Three**

"**You were seen." Titian turned around in his chair. He was in his make-shift lab glaring at Monet. "By the very turtles I told you to stay away from, with only two ---" Monet interrupted her brother, her voice timid as she faced her brothers anger.**

"**---- the turtles got in the way, and I couldn't go after the---"**

"**No excuses!" Titians voice was rising. "How can you possibly fail at the one thing you are good at!" Titians words were harsh.**

**Monet looked down so he wouldn't see her eyes water. He was right. She wasn't really good at anything. She wasn't as smart as Titian, she wasn't as strong as Titian. The only skills she possessed were that she was light on her feet and fast --- a perfect combination for her current profession. She also seemed to pick up the 'taking-without-permission' very quickly. She was not that talented with her tessen either. She had only learned the basic stuff from Titian and had guessed at a bit of her so called 'ninja skill.' **

"**I'm sorry…." Monet barely spoke above a whisper. Her lips were trembling. "It won't happen again."**

"**We can't afford to let it happen again." Titian turned back around in his chair. "I need you to get those other three."**

**Monet nodded and walked out of his lab. His lab was in the main part of the church. Scraps of metal and paper were scattered along old pews. The stained glass windows were boarded up, so only glimmers of moonlight shone through. Above her head was a balcony that had once held the organ and a piano. It was now vacant…Monet walked up the stairs to the balcony bit. The entire floor of it was covered in pillows. Throw pillows, body pillows, character plushes, and various bed pillows. There were two blankets up there. This was where they usually slept. Monet fell onto the pillows. She sunk in until she hit the floor. She then grabbed a nearby body pillow and hugged it close letting a tear fall.**

**The turtles were back at the lair, pondering over their recent encounter with the thief.**

"**It's highly interesting." Donnie was pacing about the lair. "A female turtle that we **

**have not met who resides in the same city."**

"**It could be a coincidence dude!" Mikey said. "I mean like, think about all the random mutants that like we have met dude." Mikey ate a piece of pizza as he talked. "There was Mona Lisa and Mondo Gecko…the list goes on." **

"**Mikey…you have a point." Leo said. **

"**Mikey has a point?" Raph raised a brow. "You been drinkin' Donnie's water?"**

"**Think she will steal again?" Donnie changed the subject.**

"**More than likely….she only got two of the five diamonds she needed." Leo turned to his brothers. "Donnie…where do you think they will be next?"**

**Donnie went into the lab and looked at his map and brought it out into the living room. "Since two of the diamonds are gone I highly doubt that they will continue going to jewelry stores. They are probably hidden somewhere else now."**

"**Like under a mattress?" Mikey asked.**

"**Somewhere with high security." Donnie said. "That is not easily acceptable."**

**The turtles looked at each other. They knew right where the thief would go.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter Four**

**Monet did not risk leaving the safety of the church for a few days. The human police were looking for her. She sat in one of the old, broken pews and watched a twelve-inch screen, basic cable news station.**

"**The thief – who escaped police custody – is described as a young female around five foot to five foot-two inches. She is said to weigh around 110 – 115 lbs and wears a large brown backpack. She had long orange hair – which authorities suspect to be a wig- and a brightly colored body suit –"**

**Monet turned off the TV. The human police seemed to have a basic idea of what to look for to find her.**

"**See what happens when you are seen." Titian stood behind her and crossed his arms.**

"**I'm sorry…." Monet barely spoke above a whisper. She felt terrible. She had failed and Titian didn't like failure.**

"**I still expect five diamonds." Titian started to walk up the aisle to his alter lab.**

**Monet stared at him in complete shock. "But how am I supposed to get them!" She protested. She ran after her brother, taking two steps to one of his. "The police are looking for me, those turtles are probably looking for me, and to top it all off the security on the other three diamonds has been like….like…tripled!" Monet wanted to cry. How could he STILL want them!**

"**You are a thief!" Titian turned to her and yelled. "Anything can be stolen! And anything that can be stolen WILL be stolen! I don't care how you get them, just get them! Do you want to be human again or not!" Monet just looked down. "And another thing Monet- WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK OF THE PLAN FOR YOUR STEALING!"**

"**It's tough!" Monet got defensive. "It's not easy trying to get these diamonds and I am trying my hardest—"**

"**How hard can it be!" Titians anger was rising.**

"**Well…these three will be hard to get…" Monet was getting nervous but explained to her brother that over the past few days she had learned that the diamonds were in a vault behind bulletproof and sound proof glass.**

"**How do you know this?" Titian glared at her, still boiling with sibling directed anger.**

"**I researched it." Monet crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at her brother.**

"**All this time you were doing research and you couldn't figure out how to get the diamonds. Stop trying to act smart! Now get me those diamonds! Watch some spy movies and come up with your own plan. I don't help failures! Just take with you the knowledge that if we never become human again…it's your fault!" Titian continued walking.**

**Monet stood there. Guilt started to build up inside her. He was right….he was doing his part in figuring out how to turn them human again, all she was required to do was get the materials. She was failing on her part.**

"**You're right." Monet sighed. "I'll go watch my movies….Mission Impossible, Ocean's Eleven and see if I can come up with something." Monet walked to her pile of movies.**

**Titian sat down. His sister was too young, too immature to understand the importance of his work. He wanted to be human again. He needed these materials, but his mutation made him huge and it hurt to move sometimes. Monet was so much smaller and she could learn fast when she wanted to. Titian just had to give her the right encouragement and eventually she would find the right answer. She could get these diamonds. He needed them. They were the only ones big enough to power his ray gun.**

**Mikey was on a hunt—a hunt of curiosity. It had been three days since he had seen the mysterious thieving turtle chick. Since that night he – and all his brothers – had been searching for her.**

**There were two reasons for this.**

**One. They wanted her to return the diamonds and question her reasoning in taking them.**

**And two….well she was a chick right? Mikey was so curious about a female that he wanted to find her. Find her, smile at her, flirt with her….the possibilities were endless! He watched TV, and he sometimes looked over Splinter's shoulder when he watched his "stories." Romance stuff like that totally happened! Those storied must depict real life as it happens!**

**As Mikey walked around he began to loose confidence in seeing the weird turtle chick again. She was probably long gone anyway. He sighed as he held his arms behind his head.**

"**WHY DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK OF THE PLAN FOR YOUR STEALING!" Mikey heard a yelling voice rising over the rooftops. Who the shell was that?**

**Mikey headed to the source of the noise. He stopped over an old church. There was loud talking beneath his feet. A girl and guy.**

"**Dude…" Mikey said aloud to himself. "I thought this place was like…abandoned." He looked for a way in. There was a roof access point. He opened and silently crept inside. It led him into old Sunday school rooms.**

**These rooms had no lights and were covered in dust. He silently moved deeper into the church. It was a confusing place. Everything was dark and it creaked a bit when he stepped in certain places.**

**After a few minutes he found a staircase. It led him down a flight of stairs. There was an old reception area that looked like it had once fed a couple hundred people breakfast after a morning church session. Scattered on the floor were some movies. Most of them were VHS but some were DVD's. Mikey looked at them. It ranged from Disney Movies to more serious films. He heard someone walking down the hall. The door opened and he hid under an old table, breaking the cobwebs that hung all over it.**

**It was that turtle girl. She slammed the door and then punched it. **

**Monet didn't want to steal them. It was going to take her forever to figure out how to steal them. She wasn't smart enough to figure it out. She sighed as she turned on a light and looked at the pile of movies. She had taken most of these on her own time from Blockbuster return movie slots. She looked through them until she found one to look for.**

**Mikey couldn't resist. He crept out from under the table and walked up behind her. **

"**Hey baby." He smiled.**

**Monet jumped, turned around and kicked him. She saw him fly into a wall. "Sorry!" She covered her mouth with her hand. **

"**Kicks equals love!" Mikey groaned with a smile as he stood up.**

**Monet just stared at him. "What are you doi---who are you! You're the turtle guy!" She pointed at him. "I'm not supposed to talk to you!" She remembered and turned to leave.**

"**Dude! Wait!" Mikey walked towards her.**

"**Nope! I'm not supposed to talk to you!" Monet shook her head. **

"**Who's going to know?" Mikey said light heartedly.**

"**Monet!" Monet heard Titians voice her eyes opened wide. What would he think of this turtle?! He would think Monet was disobeying him!**

"**Hide!!!" Monet whispered loudly turning to Mikey. **

"**Why?" Mikey asked. **

"**Monet! What was that noise!" Monet could hear Titian walk down the hall.**

"**Just do it!!" She pleaded. Mikey went to hide as Titian opened the door.**

"**Monet! I heard a noise! What was it?!"**

"**I fell down." She smiled innocently at her brother. "Noises happen….you know…."**

"**It didn't sound like you fell down." Titian glared.**

"**Well…uhhh….what else would it be?" Monet asked with her same smile. **

**Titian looked around the room and then left. Monet waited a few moments. And then turned around. Where was that turtle guy?**

"**Hello? Are you still here?" Monet glanced around the room.**

"**Did ya miss me babe?" Mikey said from behind her. Monet jumped again. **

"**Ye-no! Lookie here…you can't stay here! You have to leave!" Monet crossed her arms. "And I'm not supposed to even be talking to you!"**

"**Then why did you try to protect me from that giant mutant dude?" Mikey smirked at her.**

"**Because I don't want to get in trouble!" Monet glared at him.**

**She had a cute non threatening glare. Mikey was finding it hard to believe that this girl was a jewel thief.**

"**How about this babe, you come up to the surface with me and like. We can sit on your roof." Mikey flirted.**

"**No! I have things to do! And you should leave me alone! I won't get in trouble because of you!" Monet turned to the movie pile and picked one up. She put her hand on the door knob. "And….and…." What would Titian say to make him go away? "And you should…you should leave and mind your own business!" She left the room and closed the door. **

**Mikey was left alone in the room. It was cute. She was trying hard to be tough, but only ended up making herself look…look…adorable. There was an innocent charm about her that made him even more curious about her. He left the church and returned to the rooftop.**

**Monet sat in the pew and popped the movie into the VCR. She thought through the commercials. What a strange turtle guy....**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter Five**

**Two more nights of re-watching the same movies over and over again, eventually sparked an idea inside Monet's head. She knew how to get the diamonds. She walked down the aisle to her brother who sat working irritatingly at the alter lab.**

"**Unless you have a plan, I don't want to talk to you." Titian said harshly.**

**Monet felt affronted by this but continued on. "I have a plan." She said. **

**Her older brother turned and looked at her. Monet actually came up with a plan? He dared to believe it. "Speak."**

"**Think she'll show?" Raphael asked his brothers. They were perched on a rooftop looking over the New York Public Library. Inside those doors lay the diamonds. Eventually the thief would return, and when she did, they would be ready for her.**

**Leo nodded at his brother's question. "Of course she will. It's been almost a week since we have seen her. If she truly wants them…she will come."**

**The minutes dragged on until Raph broke the silence. "HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO SIT HERE?!!" Raph crossed his arms. "I don't do patrol! Call me when there's action---"**

"**There she is!" Donnie interrupted pointing near the building. The girl had come out of the shadows near the library. She looked around the street level. She kept to the shadows to avoid detection, but the turtle brothers knew right where she was. They kept their eyes on her as she looked around. **

**Their studying of her movements turned into shock when she looked up and saw silhouettes.**

**Of course those turtles were going to be there! She thought bitterly. Right when she had thought of something intelligent too! She ran down an alley, hoping to looe them in the maze of alley but instead she ran into a dead end, and decided to scale the building wall. She reached the top and found two of the four turtles there waiting for her. The other two had followed on the ground and were soon to be behind her.**

"**Did ya miss us?" The turtle with orange bandana winked.**

**Monet blinked and then shook her head. "Not really…" She crossed her arms. "You're kind of getting in my way."**

**The turtle with the blue bandana was next to the orange one, and she heard the other two close in behind her.**

"**Where are da diamonds?" Raph cut to the chase.**

"**What diamonds?" She spoke innocently.**

"**Don't play dumb with us!" Leo looked at her sternly. "We know you stole the diamonds and you are here to get the rest of them."**

"**What makes you so sure?" She kept the same tone.**

"**Don't lie!" Raph threatened. "Or else I'm going to have to hurt you."**

"**Let's start simple dudes." Mikey smiled. "Let's calm down….now babe, do you have a name? Or do we need to make one up for you?" He winked at her again. She got a slight blush on her cheek.**

"**Well mister, I hate to disappoint you, but my brother told me not to tell you my name. I'm not even supposed to talk to you." She said childishly.**

"**Brother?" Donnie raised an eyebrow.**

**Titian was alone in the old church when he heard a crash. Was Monet back so soon? He looked down the aisle and waited for the door to open at the far end. He expected Monet to burst through the door with the diamonds that he desperately needed. But that was not the case. **

**There was some messing with the door handle.**

**Titian arose from his chair and walked down the aisle. It was painful to move, like always. He was confused. Monet never really had trouble opening the door. A Titian reached a hand down, a large explosion sent him tumbling into the pews. **

**Titian felt his shell hit the pews and he ruined them as he was forced back a few rows. When the smoke from that cleared he got to his feet and looked at the door.**

"**Hello number 7." Came a high pitched voice. It came from a human dressed all in white. She had short brown hair and wore a nametag that read 'Penny.' Behind Penny were at least a dozen or more humans dressed in radiation suits. Each human holding an odd shaped gun.**

**Titian glared at Penny. _How did they find us?_**** He thought a he stood at a fighting stance.**

"**So you want to fight?" Penny chuckled a little bit. "I do wish you would reconsider and come quietly." The radiation guys aimed their guns at him.**

**Titian just continued to glare.**

"**Have it your way then." Penny shrugged and the radiation guys fired at Titian.**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part One**

**Chapter Six**

**The bright-bowed turtle chick nodded her head slowly. "Brother. Like I could do all this by myself?" She crossed her arms. "And to think…I thought you looked not stupid…or smart…or whatever."**

"**Aight look here! We ain't got time for this shit! Now tell us where the diamonds are!" Raphael yelled.**

"**Hey Raph! Don't yell at her! We have to calmly speak to her!" Leo glared at his brother. **

**As the two turtles got into a fight with each other, Michelangelo looked over at this girl turtle, he ignored his two brothers. "I don't believe we have been properly introduced, babe." He smirked. "Names Michelangelo. But you can call me Mikey."**

"**Mikey?" She raised an eyebrow at him. Mikey felt aflutter when she spoke his name with her cute high pitched voice. "You don't look like a Mikey. You look more like a…like a…."**

"**Like a what babe?" He asked curiously.**

"**Like a dude I'm not supposed to talk to." She blushed at her own flirty daring. She decided to add in a little wink to go with her blush. "Now if you'll excuse me, Mister Mikey, I have to go now." She tried to brush past him but Donatello moved in front of and his bo staff blocked her path.**

"**You are not leaving yet." Donnie spoke.**

"**Why not?" She asked, she almost sounded shocked.**

"**Because we ain't finished with you!" Raph yelled after her.**

**Her eye twitched. This guy was so rude…she didn't like him it seemed.**

"**What do you want! Just let me go home!" She started sounding frantic.**

"**Calm down now…" Leo took a step towards her.**

**She started shaking. These turtles still surrounded her. "Please let me go home…I promise I won't steal anything….i'll leave the diamonds alone…I swear." The longer she seemed to spend with them the more uncomfortable she became. "You believe me…don't you Mikey?" She looked to Mikey blinking her blue eyes at him. **

"**Hey hey hey!" Raph interjected. "Don't you use any of that feminine wiles crap on him!"**

"**Feminine wiles?" She turned to Raph. She was now a little steamed. "Look dude…I don't know who you think you are, but I certainly don't like your attitude problem! You're such a meanie, you know that! And I am being totally honest with you!"**

**Did she just back talk to Raph?**

"**Oh no you didn't! That's it! I'm taking your lying ass out!" Raph took out his Sai. But as he did a dart hit him in the back of the neck. "What the shee-" He dropped to the ground unconscious. **

**All eyes turned to the source. It was a human woman who looked like a scientist. She had deep blonde hair, red lips and brown eyes. She was surrounded by a group of guys dressed in radiation suits. Each of them held a strange gun.**

"**Hello, my darling number 8." The lady spoke with a seductively deep woman voice. She spoke with a sense of class and refinement that showed that she clearly was used to higher way of living. She almost spoke down on those around her. **

**The lady walked forward confidently with her radiation guys at her heels. The turtles stood ready to fight – except the girl turtle. She took a step back and stared in horror at the scientist.**

"**Hello Monet, my darling niece." The lady smiled. "How are things?"**

"**Monet?" The turtles looked to her. Now she had a name. Monet looked completely scared. Her eyes widely staring at this doctor as though the scientist was the devil incarnate. Her yellow-green skin paled a bit as she trembled at the sight.**

"**Well my dear it appears as though you are doing well, now let's run along home and I can finish my work."**

**Monet shook her head.**

**The scientist let out a sigh. "I'm not accustomed to asking a second time. Now child, come back home with me and your brother and then all will be well again."**

"**What…what did you do to my brother?" Monet asked timidly.**

**The scientist just chuckled and a radiation guy pointed a gun at her.**

"**Hold it right there dudes!" Mikey interrupted. "I don't know who you guys are, but like I don't think she wants to go with you."**

**The scientist looked to Mikey. "Well, well, well, I had almost forgotten your existence -- The strange terrapin quartet. Pardon me for interrupting your little dance lesson, but I am here to retrieve my niece so if you will kindly step aside-"**

**The turtle felt insulted. Being a ninja was so not a dance lesson! They kept their fighting stances.**

**The scientist smirked. "I can see I will have to push past you myself then." She snapped her fingers and the radiation guys pulled the trigger.**

**Darts surrounded them but the brothers managed to deflect them all. Working in unison, the three remaining brothers then charged at the radiation guys. **

**Monet wanted to help fight, but she could not turn her gaze away from the scientist. She stared into the scientists cold brown eyes. She held up a gun and aimed at Monet.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Art of the Thief**

**Part Two**

**Chapter Seven**

**It was just a pinch, and it seemed to only linger for a brief moment. As she felt the pinch the world seemed to swirl. She staggered on her feet and then there was another pinch. On top of the swirling, everything was moving in slow motion. She heard a turtle say something but she was hypnotized by her hand which moved slowly in front of her and she staggered again. **

"**Woah…." Monet said as she saw the ground get closer and then everything turned to black.**

**At first she thought it was soft, but then she realized it was kind of hard and a little rough on her side. She groaned a bit and blinked. She was staring at a weird fabric. She didn't recognize it. She was tempted to move but thought differently when she heard voices.**

"**Still don't see why ya brought her here, Mike." Came a gruff voice. He was talking like he was tired, or was he angry.**

"**Well like I couldn't just leave her there dude!" Came…what was his name…Mikey? Yes that was it! Mikey was talking. "She looked so helpless…"**

"**Well she's here now, and when she wakes up we can find out more about her." This voice sounded like a leaders.**

"**We shoulda just handed her shell over to that lady Leo! She is not our problem!" The angry one grumbled. **

"**Maybe this is a bad time guys, but I think she can hear us." Said a fourth voice. He sounded intelligent.**

"**What makes you say that?" The leader asked.**

"**Really! Hey babe? Can you hear us?" Mikey's voice asked excitedly.**

**_No point in faking it I suppose…_****Monet thought. "Yes…" She spoke with a slightly shaky voice. She was nervous and scared. She didn't know where she was and even though Mikey seemed excited, everyone else seemed some what hesitant about her. She was only comfortable with the fabric of the couch she guessed she was on.**

"**Well then roll over and say hello babe." Mikey teased her. She felt a blush. She thought it was from embarrassment.**

**She stayed right where she was.**

"**Well then you can stay there…" Mikey flirted. "But from this angle babe, we have a great view of your tail."**

"**MIKE!" His brothers yelled.**

****

Monet instantly felt embarrassed. Her brother had told her about turtle tails. Her brother had explained everything that had happened to her since her transformation…even during certain times of the month where he kept her shut up in a room…something about going into "heat" and how it drove animal guys crazy.

**She sat up instantly and scooted herself across the confirmed couch so that she rested her shell and tail securely in the corner.**

**She had a better view. She was in a home of some sort, but there were no windows…all the light was form lightbulbs. Where was she? There was a nice entertainment system, and a lot of other really cool things.**

"**So what's your name babe?" Mikey looked at her smiling.**

"**Monet…" She said softly. She was intimidated by these turtles. **

"**I am Michelangelo!" Mikey said. Even though he had already introduced himself to her…his brothers didn't know he had talked to her before.**

"**Leonardo."**

"**Donatello."**

"**Raphael."**

**They each introduced themselves. **

"**The good ones end in 'O' baby." Mikey winked at her.**

"**Mikey! Do ya have ta say that every time!" Raph wanted to smack him. **

**Monet actually cracked a smile at that.**

"**So what! You think that's funny!" Raph looked at her. "Well it ain't!"**

**Monet stopped smiling. She bit her lip and held her knees. "Sorry…" He reminded her of her brother…angry and with a temper…he seemed to yell a lot too.**

"**Don't make her cry dude!" Mikey glared at Raph then turned a carefree smile to Monet as he sat on the couch next to her. "Don't worry about him babe."**

**Monet was slightly uncomfortable that he was so close to her. She tried to scoot into the couch corner more.**

"**If you don't mind my asking-" Donnie began. "Where are you from?"**

"**I'm not supposed to talk to you." Monet still feared Titian's wrath if she said anything.**

"**Look," Leo began. "We know you're not supposed to talk to us, but at this point there is nothing more you can do. You are with us now…so you can cooperate or you can just sit there and act stubborn."**

"**I'm not stubborn." She still spoke in a humble voice. "I just don't want to get in trouble..."**

"**You're not going to get in trouble babe." Mikey winked.**

"**I too have some questions for you Miss Monet." It was an old wise voice that spoke. Monet turned her head to see a mutated rat. She opened her eyes wide for a moment but didn't scream.**

"**Who are you?" She asked tilting her head.**

"**I am Splinter…these are my sons." He took a step close to her leaning on his cane as he moved. "You have my assurance my dear, that everything you say will not leave this room." He sat down in a chair next to her.**

**Monet was quiet for a moment. If this Splinter was a parent…he could be trusted. Couldn't he? She nodded her head slowly. **

"**Good." Splinter smiled. "Would you like some tea?"**

**Monet shook her head. "No thank you."**

"**So…where are you from?" Donnie repeated.**

"**I am from the country…rural I guess." She said.**

"**And why are you here?" Leo asked.**

"**You brought me here." Monet replied.**

"**Not here stupid, he means New York!" Raph interrupted.**

"**I'm sorry!" Monet said. "I didn't know!"**

"**Raphael!" Splinter looked at him. "Calm down! Twenty flips now!"**

**Monet watched as Raph did his flips. **

"**Well…" Monet continued. "I moved to New York City with my brother when I was eight."**

"**How old is your brother?" Leo asked.**

"**He is three years older than me."**

"**And how old are you?" Mikey asked curiously. He was currently eighteen years old and he wanted to know the age difference between himself and this chick.**

"**Sixteen." She said.**

"**You're sixteen and you're stealing?!" Leo raised a brow. "Don't you know that's bad? Stealing is wrong!"**

**Monet was quiet for a moment. "It depends on how you look at it." She said submissively. "I can't get a job – " she was reciting all the things that Titian had told her about their situation. "- I have no friends, no morals, or anyone to tell me what's right and wrong. I take what I need to survive----"**

"**How does stealing priceless diamonds help you survive?" Donnie interrupted.**

"**It doesn't…me and Titian – my brother – need them for something else." She said.**

"**What do you need them for?" Leo asked.**

"**We want to be human again…" She said longingly.**

"**Human!?" There was all around shock.**

"**Weren't you humans before too?" She was shocked at their response. When they said no she looked down. **

"**Let me explain to you about where we came from." Splinter looked to her. He explained about how he found four baby turtles in ooze, and how when they touched the ooze they mutated…as well as himself. The origin of the teenage mutant ninja turtles was explained to Monet.**

"**Oh…" Monet nodded when he finished. "Well I was a human…my aunt turned me into a turtle…" She said.**

"**Your aunt?!" Donnie asked.**

"**Yes…" Monet said. "When I moved to the city I went to live with my Aunt, her name is Renee. She was trying to find the missing link between humans and apes…since they share ninety-nine percent of their DNA with each other ; she was so sure that she had found it that she experimented on me and my brother." Monet looked at herself. "This wasn't really the effect she was looking for. So she got angry and called us freaks…she was so mean to us." Monet almost teared up at the memory. "So we ran away and then Titian was going to go get food, but his mutation made it difficult for him to move…it hurts him when he moves a lot…so I went out and I would steal food. At first it was just kitchen scraps and leftover fries in the bottom of McDonalds bags…but we couldn't survive off those. So I started breaking into grocery stores at night so I could get things like soup, bread or whatever Titian said I should get."**

"**Why didn't you just go home to your parents?" Mikey asked.**

"**I….I can't…" Monet looked down.**

"**Why not?" Leo asked. "they are your parents…they should accept you for who you are…mutant or not."**

"**They don't know…" She got really quiet.**

"**They don't know you're a mutant!" Raph raised a brow. "So ya aunt just turned ya into a mutant without ya consent and ya folks don't know!"**

**Monet just sat there.**

"**Why don't you tell them babe?" Mikey asked.**

"**I can't…" Monet whispered.**

**Splinter knew what was coming. "You're parents are not around are they." He put a hand on her shoulder.**

"**No….they are dead…" She bit her lip to keep it from trembling.**

**Mikey leaned over and hugged her, he was noticing the quivering lip, the way she was avoiding gazes. "Hey….it'll be okay…" He rubbed her shoulder.**

"**If ya don't mind ma askin'…" Raph began. "how did they die?"**

"**Baking accident…" Monet whispered. "But I don't want to talk about it…"**

"**A baking accident? How the shell does someone die in a baking accident?" Raph asked.**

"**I don't want to talk about it…"**

"**Was it too much bakin' powder or something??"**

"**I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" She yelled looking up at him with watery eyes.**


	8. Chapter 8

**TMNT The Art of the Thief**

**Part Two**

**Chapter Eight**

**Titian blinked. What the shell…He felt darts and then darkness, but when he tried to open his eyes he could see nothing. Strangely though, he wasn't sore. Normally his body ached constantly, but now he felt no pain.**

**Suddenly lights clicked on. He was in the center of a white room, stripped down to his shell. He sat up and blinked. There were no windows and no doors. Atleast not that he could see.**

"**Do you hurt?" He heard his aunt's voice echo around the room. He jumped to his feet and looked around cautiously. Again he felt no pain. That was odd…he had suffered the most excruciatingly painful soreness ever since his mutation. Six years of pain and hurt and physical agony.**

"**N-no." Titian was shocked by this.**

"**Then consider it a gift my darling nephew." Her voice said.**

**Titian remembered his anger. The anger from the fight in his home…in the church. "What do you want!?" Titian glanced around wildly for something to look at.**

"**To help you, my dear." His aunts voice had a slight chuckle, but he could hear a smile. "You are my nephew…and I am your guardian. I only want what is best for you."**

"**Then change me back! Make me human again! Me and Monet both!" Titian snarled.**

"**Unfortunately my dearest nephew, I cannot do that." Her voice sounded a little bit sad. "But what I did was fix your problem. You were my first experiment and –"**

"**I failed!" Titian finished angrily. "Sure you managed to succeed in successfully mutating someone, but you failed in the fact that my body physically had to change. There is no part of me that is human anymore! My bones, my spine my muscles…everything changed leaving me in agony—"**

"**Which is why I have fixed that for you." His aunt interrupted. "You have been given a powerful sedative to suppress your pain. It took me a while, but I came up with medication that will work with your particular mutation."**

**Titian couldn't think of anything to say to that.**

**"If you ever require more, you are always welcome to come find me for it." She stated. "Now as for your sister…"  
**

"**Where is she!" Titian was glaring at the walls. His fists clenched tightly. "What did you do with my sister?!"**

"**I was foiled in my attempt to obtain your sister. It appears she has some new friends…they are turtles as well." She explained. **

**Titian looked at the ground. He was getting angry. His fists were clenching tighter his eyes were closing in rage. "I TOLD HER TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM!"**

"**And she didn't listen to you?" Renee didn't sound all that upset at her nephews anger. If anything she seemed to be encouraging it. "Why would she keep secrets from you darling?"**

"**MONET CAN'T KEEP A—" He thought about it. She had told him of running into them…one time. What if there were more occurrences? **

"**Oh my darling nephew. Strange isn't it. She most seriously needed my help as well didn't she? You were trying so hard to be human. She must not have shared in that desire…"**

"**Of course she did…" Titians anger was waning. What was his aunt saying? Was Monet smarter than they had both given her credit? Titian had been the first mutant. And his mutation had left him in agony. So when his aunt changed the mutation mutinagen and experimented on Monet. Monet, fortunately did not suffer his pain, or any pain at all, everything felt like a little prick, a slight bit of pressure. But Monet's side effect, stopped her brain development. She had the mind of a thirteen-year-old; always childish and with out a barrier to tell her when to be quiet. She didn't think so much about the consequences. She had that child's mind. **

"**She said she did." Titian said.**

"**But how do you know that? She seemed quite content with her new companions." Renee said.**

**Titian didn't say anything.**

"**Have I said too much? I apologize deary…but I ask you to explore this idea. Since now you have no pain…perhaps you could get the items you need to finish your little toy."**

"**It's not a toy!" Titian yelled.**

"**Fine then. But now you could go get them. Then perhaps you could be a human much faster."**

"**You want me to be human?" Titian asked.**

"**As I said. I want what's best for you. If that means that you must be human again, then that's what it means. Your mind is capable of many different things, darling. You seem to have succeeded where I have failed. I long to see how this prject of yours works out."**

**Titian had to admit she had a point. He started thinking more about it. He could go get those diamonds…why did he need Monet? He could show her how a real thief was supposed to act.**

"**I'm sorry." Monet hid her face in her knees. She had just yelled at someone older than her. She was probably going to get in trouble. "I-I didn't mean to yell…" She sounded almost fearful. "I'm sorry."**

**Splinter raised a brow. "You have no need to apologize. You have an emotional turmoil that clearly still pains you. You are in a strange place surrounded by those of which you are not familiar. You have every reason to be afraid. But I must ask you to calm down." He put a hand on her shoulder.**

**The turtle brothers were quiet as she took some deep breathes.**

"**Society doesn't really accept those that are different." Donatello looked to her. "I understand the being a victim of circumstance, which is why your brother convinced you to the life of common thief. However, how did you come by the jewelry theft?"**

"**Food can be understandable in a world that doesn't accept you, even though it isn't right." Leonardo crossed his arms. **

"**Titian needed the diamonds." Monet said she was still a little bit sad. She was holding her knees.**

"**What the shell did he need priceless jems fo?" Raph asked.**

**Monet shrugged. "He just told me to get them."**

"**But like, why'd you do it?" Mikey asked.**

"**Because he told me to. He's my brother. I'd do anything for him."**


	9. Chapter 9

**Art of the Thief**

**Part Two**

**Chapter Nine**

**It's the**** visible ****and discernable physiological manifestations that, a person ready to commit violence, will****display. The thief is mentally and physically prepared to commit violence in order to get what they want --- whatever that may be. Being able to recognize when intent is present isn't always easy as one might think. The thief has often learned how to mask it behind words and feigned innocence.**

**Monet thought back on her brother. He had done a lot of research on being a thief. He wanted Monet to be the best, since he couldn't. The turtles and Mister Splinter --- he wasn't her master…so she'd call him mister --- had let her sleep on the couch. She was holding a pillow and had a blanket. Mikey had volunteered to let her use his.**

**Not everyone was asleep though. Leonardo had gone to bed, Raphael had gone to the surface, Mister Splinter was meditating, Donatello was in a lab, and Michelangelo…well she didn't know where he was.**

**Monet couldn't sleep. So she sat up. The lights were off, so she held her pillow as she walked to the closest source of light. It came from Donatello's lab.**

"**Hello." She said cautiously as she stood in the door.**

**Donatello looked up from his work. "Oh! Hello! Can I help you?"**

"**I….I can't sleep." She said softly.**

"**And you came to me?" He raised a brow.**

"**Well…" She turned red. "Your light was on, I hope you don't mind." She spoke again like she was afraid he would lash out at her.**

"**Hey…calm down." Don got up and walked over to her. He could tell she looked scared. "It's okay to be afraid…but since you are here ---" He gestured for her to come into his lab.**

**Monet walked inside and sat down in a spare chair that Don had gestured too. She sat down holding her pillow.**

**Don sat back down in his chair. **

"**My brother has a lab." Monet tried to start a conversation.**

"**So you're brother is a scientist?" Don sounded interested.**

"**Yes…he is really good at math and science." Monet started to talk excitedly about her brother. "He used to know the names of all the stars, he was actually happy when we first moved in with Aunt Renee because she was a scientist too. He learned all kinds of things." She spoke with an animated childlike enthusiasm. It reminded Don of Mikey. **

"**Maybe you'll be as smart as him one day." Don smiled at her.**

**Monet just shook her head. "I can't…"**

"**Sure you can! Why not?" Don was intrigued.**

"**Well…my brother told me that because of my mutation I can't get much smarter." She said. She had an accepting tone. It was as though she was accepting her fate.**

"**Really….that's intriguing." Don took out a notepad. "Tell me more." **

"**There's not much to say…all I know is when I was mutated it slowed my brain development."**

"**Curious thing about the brain." Don said. "There are many different stages…do you know about what stage it stopped developing."**

"**Well Titian said that I will always be a twelve or thirteen-year-old."**

**Don had to chuckle. "Funny thing about the brain. It does unpredictable things. At age twelve and thirteen, you may not have the maturity level of an older teen, and you may not listen as well. But that also means that you have a higher learning capacity than he does. Your brain can still retain new information. For example, you have ****evidence for organized, logical thought ---since you are a thief. There is also the ability to perform multiple classification tasks, order objects in a logical sequence, and comprehend the principle of conservation. Your thinking becomes less transductive and less egocentric. You are more than capable of concrete problem-solving. Mentally, the last thing that you would lack would be a capacity for abstract thought."**

**Monet just blinked. She didn't understand any of that.**

"**What I am saying is, while he says you have the mind of a child, you also see things from a child's perspective. You look up to your brother a lot for answers and guidance and you base your decisions off of things that your brother tells you." Don smiled. He could see that that made more sense to her. "You just have a hard time thinking outside the box and you lack the maturity level of older teenagers." _It can actually be a good thing._**** Don thought to himself. ****_Seeing things with a child's curiosity and a child's brain sees things differently than a more mature one. It tends to be more basic, finding simple conclusions instead of complex ones. Kinda like…Mikey._**

**Monet smiled. "You remind me of my brother. He is so smart….just like you."**

**Don blushed at the compliment. She had a childlike sweetness. "Does your brother tell you that you're not intelligent?"**

**Monet nodded. "All the time. And…I think he is right." Monet sighed as her face sunk into her pillow. Her chair rocked a bit from side to side as she moved it on its rolling wheels.**

"**Now what would make you say that?" Don liked listening to her talk.**

"**Well…I'm not as smart as him. He is usually right. He comes up with the plans. I just go get what he needs. If I mess up…it's my fault. He is doing his part to turn us human again. He is doing everything…all I am supposed to do is get the items. But I can't even do that."**

"**That doesn't make you unintelligent Monet." Don said softly. "If anything…it seems like you are doing everything. You are bringing the materials and putting yourself in harms way, while he sits at home."**

"**Titian can't move." Monet got a little defensive. What Don was saying contradicted what she had been told. "It hurts him when he moves."**

**Mikey was walking by and saw Monet in the lab with Donnie. "There you are!" Mikey came in. "I've been looking everywhere for you."**

**Monet blushed bright red. "M-me? Really!" She smiled.**

**Don kinda felt let down. She seemed so happy to see Mikey.**

"**Of course you babe." Mikey walked over to her and offered his hand. "I went out and got you something."**

**Monet turned a bright shade of red and got excited. "You did!" Her smile got wide. She stood up and let the pillow fall to the floor. She happily grabbed his hand and followed him into the living room. **

**Mikey had laid out a whole buffet of pizza. There were five different kinds.**

"**Pizza!" Monet looked in shock.**

"**well I didn't know what type of pizza you liked. So I got like, cheese, pepperoni, a pizza with everything by anchovies, a sausage and mushroom, and then one that has chicken and ranch dressing on it." Mikey turned pink.**

"**Pizza! I haven't had pizza in years!" Monet wrapped her arms around his neck. His kind gesture made her feel happy. **

**Mikey hugged her back. The top of her bright orange hair brushed against his cheek. She then walked over to the pizzas and grabbed a pepperoni. **

"**I like pepperoni." She said simply.**

"**It's a classic dudette. You can't go wrong with pepperoni!" Mikey then took a slice of the same pizza. He sat down on the floor. "You can sit down if you want."**

**Monet promptly sat on the floor infront of the pizza boxes. She was a little bit shocked when Mikey scooted next to her. He had watched Splinters Stories before. "You want to watch a movie or something?" He asked nervously hoping she would say yes.**

**They were infront of a big TV. Monet felt a little bit uneasy. She had just met them and they all seemed so nice to her. Almost immediately accepting her…or atleast Mike, Don and Mister Splinter had.**

"**Are you sure?" Monet asked shyly.**

"**Of course babe!" Mikey smiled. "Nothin' goes better with pizza than a movie!" Monet smiled back and had to agree to that. Monet saw the remote all the way on the other side of the living room on the couch.**

"**Do you want me to go get it?" Monet asked.**

"**Nonsense babe! Watch this!" Mikey made sure she was looking, he wouldn't miss a chance to show off in front of her. He took one of his nun-chaku out and aimed at the remote. He sent it flying through the air. It ricocheted off of the remote and the remote bounced over and flew into the air landing at Michelangelo's feet. His nun-chaku rolled back to him as well.**

"**Woah! That was so awesome!" Monet looked in amazement.**

"**That takes serious ninja skill!" Mikey said proudly. "You really think it's awesome babe?"**

"**Totally!" Monet smiled brightly.**

**_Oh yeah….she's totally rad._**** Mikey thought as he turned on the TV.**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Art of the Thief  
Part Two  
Chapter Ten**

****

Penny eyed Dr. Giotto suspiciously. After Renee had shut off the intercom she watch from a hidden camera as Titian absorbed what she had just told him.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" Penny asked as she nervously held a notebook to her chest.

"Helping my dear nephew, Penny." Renee relaxed in a chair. She was in a control room that monitored Titian's white prison.

"But…that drug…what you gave him. Wasn't it taken off the market because it was highly addictive and ruled unsafe by the CDC and the FDA?" Penny asked with her voice a little bit shaky.

Renee just gave Penny a weird look. "Are you questioning my methods Penny?"

"N-no." Penny took a step back.

"Are you the scientist?" Renee stood up glaring menacingly at her assistant.

"N-no, ma'am." Penny was still shaky.

"That's right, you are the assistant. You listen to the scientist. I am the scientist. A nobel prize wining scientist. Don't you think that I have an idea of what I am doing? I am trying to clean up the mess I have made. The deeper I get into this mutant business, the farther I get away from my study." Renee inched closer to Penny. "I have not found what I was looking for. Instead I have found something….entirely different. This business with mutants is far more complicated than I intended it to be. So now I clean up the mess I have made." Renee then left the room, leaving a cloud of curiosity hanging over Penny's head.

Wasn't the whole point of being a scientist to discover new things? Isn't the curiosity that led to these mutations, the scientific adrenaline rush? Penny left the control room and wandered silently down the dim hall. What would scare Dr. Renee from wanting to find something's full potential?

Titian didn't know how long he had been in that room. But it felt like hours. Slowly the pain started coming back, until he was consumed by it again. Those few moments of painless movement had been wonderful, but now he was succumbing to pain. He didn't even move.

"Has the pain returned, darling?" His aunts voice came back on the speaker.

"What's it to you?" Titian asked.

"I have more of that pain reliever I mentioned earlier." Her voice teased.

A pain reliever would be nice. It seemed like she was only trying to help after all. What harm could it do? Ever since the pain had returned, Titian had thought only of how amazing it had felt without being in physical agony.

"You do?" Titian asked.

"Of course my dear." As his aunts voice spoke a panel slid back in the white room. After a long struggle Titian managed to stand up.

iWhy does the pain seem so much worse?/i He asked himself. Was it because he had tasted freedom? Or was it something else entirely.

Titian made his way across the room as quickly as he could, he was thinking only of having that freedom of movement again. Once he reached the door there was a small room with a table, a chair and a syringe. There were no other entry ways or exit points, at least not that he could see. As he walked in he noticed a door that was bolted shut. He ignored it as he looked at the syringe. He lifted it with his right hand. It had a long, thick needle that was 3 inches long and had a base about a half an inch wide and 4 inches long filled with a yellowish liquid. iThis must be it./i Titian thought as he over looked the syringe again.

After a moments hesitation he brought the needle point down on his left forearm. He looked for a blood vessel and found it. He pushed the needle in and injected himself with the yellow liquid. Afterwards he dropped the syringe letting it roll across the table and onto the floor.

The effect seemed almost immediate. Within a minute…nothing hurt. Nothing. He felt no pain, no stress. He looked at his left arm and covered it to try to stop the blood, but to his surprise his wound had healed pretty fast. Leaving only a simple scar. He wiped off the small trail of blood that had leaked before the wound closed. He walked back out into the white room. He now had two rooms…or so he thought. The moment that he was back in the white room, the panel closed and he was trapped in the white room again.

**But he didn't mind. He was pain-free.**


End file.
